Category Archives: Album Reviews

If you want to talk about an album that will put you back on your heels, slap the taste out of your mouth, and stomp a mud hole in your ass then walk it dry, then you need to be talking about Knocked Loose‘s debut LP “Laugh Tracks“. Oldham County, Kentucky’s Knocked Loose have been impressing and causing random acts of violence for the past few years with the “Pop Culture” EP in 2014 and a split with Damaged Goods in 2015. Continue reading →

Being a huge fan of TechnicalDeathMetal, I have been listening to Allegaeon since they released FragmentsofFormandFunction back in 2010. Simply awestruck. I continued to follow them through Formshifter in 2012 and ElementsoftheInfinite in 2014 as they progressively pushed the bounds of their craft. Their playing and songwriting abilities appear to have no limit. When given the opportunity to review ProponentForSentience, due out September 23rd, 2016, I immediately got dibs before someone else snatched it from grasp. Thank goodness, because ProponentForSentience is devastatingly good!

Hailing from the great white north THUNDERBIRD has a refreshing sound that harkens back to the glory days of hard rock music with a spirit out of the 70’s and 80’s. They have the a rhythmic feel that would make any AC/DC fan happy. But amazingly they pair it with vocals that are very comparable to the legendary PAUL STANLEY of KISS. Originally formed in 2003 the band consists of Marc Lafrance (Vocals), Rod Coogan (Guitar), Kelly Stodola (Drums) also Tim Rath and Rob Becker (Bass). The group disbanded after their 2006 release “What’s The Word?”. A decade later the rockers are back with vengeance supporting their all new 2016 release “Heavyweight”. Continue reading →

I’m no stranger to the Australian Metal scene that has been growing by leaps and bounds over the past few years. From the ungodly slams of Disentomb, to the chugging breakdowns of Thy Art Is Murder, to even the melodies of The Amity Affliction, Australia has been churning out some seriously good metal over the past decade or so. Continue reading →

Produced by Scott Wilson, Sound Engineering by JesseO’Brien, art by Sarafin Concepts

Release Date:

23 September 2016

Tracklist:

“Forgiveness”

“MemoriesofYesterday”

“TheEssence”

“TheWord ‘Source’”

“ReturntoNothing”

“Complaisance”

“Consumed”

“TheSerpent”

“Quadrant”

“VeilofDoubt”

I am truly honored to be able to review what I would consider one of the best albums I have had the pleasure of listening to this year, bar none. Little did I know then just how significant my first StateoftheArt choice for Colorado would have on me some six months later. This gem has had me enthralled and engaged from first listen to, hell, I don’t know, a 100 or more times now. I know it inside and out; musically and lyrically and it never ceases to move me, often to tears, even to this day. It almost feels like it has become part of me now. An old friend that shares a little piece of my soul. I’ll stand today on my original statement of ReturntoNothing being damned near perfect. I have seen Source play live (great show!), hung out with them, talked and joked with them offline, interviewed its members BenGleason, DanCrisafulli and GeorgesOctoBous and would consider all three friends through their music and as individuals on a personal level. All of this from simply choosing to write about Source in my freshman days with the MN staff. An amazing privilege to have this platform from which to share my passion for music, especially from bands as good as Source.

Dinosaur Pile Up is one of those bands that straddles not one but several genres. They have a unique blend of sounds that make them one of the most appealing up and coming bands in today’s music scene. The band formed in 2007 in England and quickly released their debut My Rock ‘n’ Roll EP in 2008. Dinosaur Pile Up’s newest album ‘Eleven Eleven’ is about to release on August 26th via SO Recordings in the U.S. and Europe. The album is the follow up to 2013’s ‘Nature Nurture’ was released in 2013. The new album was produced by Tom Dalgety (Pixies, Killing Joke, Opeth, Royal Blood). A video for the title track “Eleven Eleven” has been getting tremendous amount of attention. The band is playing two huge American festivals this year. One being the inaugural Houston Open Air in Houston, Texas on September 24th and Louisville, Kentucky’s Louder Than Life festival on October 1st. Along with those slots the band also has 7 other American dates before they head back the UK for another tour through Europe.

Sabaton’s eighth album “TheLastStand” was recently released on the NuclearBlast record label and sets a new standard for ProgressivePowerMetal. This is another of Sabaton’s signature, history based concept albums and does not disappoint. Intelligent, well thought out and brilliantly written, “TheLastStand” is a formidable album following the critic and fan acclaimed “Heroes” in 2014. This is growth in a very positive direction.

Comments Off on Review Of Medevil’s Killer Debut ‘Conductor Of Storms”

Medevil

Conductor of Storms

Medevil. Chilliwack, British Columbia’s favored Metal sons and top six finalist in the 2015WackenMetalBattleCanada are about to drop their debut release of ConductorofStorms. We recently got our grubby paws on this beast and it has impressed a number of us here on the MN staff. Never heard of them? Let’s start with introductions…

A few months ago I let you know about a band that is bringing good old fashioned rock n roll back to its rightful place at the top. Fifth Freedom call Portland, Maine home, but their roots are most certainly in the South. The band has the type of guitar work that will bring you to your knees. The term “Fifth Freedom” is a permit to disregard to any law to accomplish the mission, and that’s exactly what the band does. Regardless what is popular the band has set its sights on their sound, put their hearts into it and journeyed forward. As a listener and fan I’m already thankful for what they have done for music. They are already reaping the rewards as they have an incredible fan base both in their home state and across the country. The band recently released their sophomore record “Heartbreak & Hellfire”, a follow up to their self-titled debut from 2014. The album was recorded with Jon Wyman at The Halo Studios and mastered by Grammy Award winning mastering engineer, Adam Ayan and the renowned Gateway Mastering Studios in Portland, Maine. The songs on the album are a window into frontman Alan Jones’s soul. The heart wrenching and powerful lyrics play right along with the bluesy American rock n roll sound they have so gracefully created. Continue reading →

NapalmStrike came to the attention of our staff recently after the release of their latest EP, NoLivesMatter on June 15th. I took one listen to the release and snapped it up before anyone else could stake claim on the review of this ass-kicking, Thrash release.